You’re trying to establish yourself as a thought leader. How can you leverage social media to get there?

To become a thought leader, focus on these key strategies: Identify your niche and tailor your content to showcase your expertise. Engage consistently, providing valuable insights and engaging with your audience. Remember, thought leadership is about education. Stay authentic, continuously learn, and adapt to establish trust and authority in your field.

To establish yourself as a thought leader it's important to choose a platform where your audience is and share high quality content consistently. LinkedIn is my preferred platform and I publish 3 newsletters on LinkedIn. I have published hundreds of editions and have over 80,000 subscribers. My articles have high engagement and people frequently ask me questions in the comments and using DMs on the platform. I do my best to respond in a timely manner and provide accurate information. People really appreciate it when you are polite, conscientious, and reliable on social media.

I don't think social media is the right approach. I don't think self publicity is the right approach. I did read a contradictory question on the same line of questions. Am not sure if this question is appropriate. Pls scrap this and throw us another meaningful question.

Decide where you want your thought leadership to be. I chose LinkedIn because that made sense for my professional automotive background. At the heart of it all is that you actually care about the subject you speak on. Being a thought leader is more that just knowledge of a subject, it is a passion for the industry, the wisdom and the growth of the people. Wanting the industry to grow, for others to see the value of being involved in it is where your thought leadership can truly help others.

I totally agree. Choosing the right platforms, that aligns with your message as well as your target audience, is the first play to start, Identify the social media platforms where your target audience is most active. As mentioned, some great options are LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter. In addition, industry-specific forums where you can engage with professionals in your field must also be considered.

Honestly I find most content that purports to be "thought leadership" both pushy and self-serving. I engage with content that has some humour, is perhaps a little self-deprecating, which in turn allows any message within the content to be that little bit more impactful. There's not enough humour and/or humanity in all of this writing IMHO

If you focus on helping people, instead of 'establishing yourself as a leader' - you are already 80% there. It's also always useful to hear authentic stories of what worked for you in real life (instead of repetition of well known maxims)

The core of thought leadership is providing content that adds value to your audience. I write about AI and provide content with analysis that my audience can't easily find elsewhere. My sources are credible and I provide links to studies and books that I mention in my articles. Valuable content encourages interaction and sparks discussions. My readers frequently share their insights and experiences with AI in the comments. My readers' comments increase the value of my content.

I completely agree, Aleksandr! Rather than focusing on platforms, strategies and methodologies, became a thought leader by sharing your authentic viewpoints and emotions. People want to hear from other real people who are willing to be vulnerable and spark curiosity over topics we may have become complacent on.

To position yourself as a thought leader on social media, focus on educational content that showcases your unique perspective. Dig deep into your expertise, sharing insights that challenge conventional thinking. Engage your audience with content that not only informs but also starts conversations, encouraging them to explore new ideas and perspectives alongside you.

This is key. If you have something worth sharing, SHARE IT. Rising tides raise all boats. Let yourself be quotes, take every press call right away, and mentor others. There’s room for everyone with good ideas. Really

There is so much potential for both value creation and connection through conversation. We not only create a complementary channel that allows us to deepen into nuance, relevance and specificity, we also learn from the input of others. And we recognize their contribution and build relationships along the way.

I agree, but if you want to establish yourself as a thought leader - first ask yourself - why? What’s your goal? Who are you trying to reach? Those answers will guide you, no matter the medium.

Social media is social first. It's a missed opportunity not to engage with people engaged with your content. Like and comment on their comments. It expands the reach and helps them feel connected to you.

To build trust and relationships, you've got to engage with your followers and peers. Reply to comments, join in on discussions, give shoutouts to other leaders, and don't shy away from collaborations like joint events or guest posts. It's a great way to widen your circle and boost your influence.

Authenticity is the core for thought leadership. We all may have contrarian views and that is healthy. But without honesty it will be quickly exposed as fake. Speaking your mind without offending others personally is non controversial constructive thought leadership. However social media viral is all about controversy. That gimmicks can make us popular in the short time but it will have dent in the overall brand positioning of thought leadership in the long run.

I noticed that content that is personal to either the author and the audience has a better rate of engagement. When you bring a personal story people tend to stop and listen, and often respond with their stories or advice if requested.

Sometimes, it's not the lack of authenticity, but the mastery of storytelling that truly captivates and influences audiences. Many of us have authentic stories but how will tell it, consistently, is what matters.

There is no substitute for authenticity. . When your community can feel your heart and the mindful effort put into sharing content, the reception is much different than simply posting clickbait. . A thought leader has a duty to share respectful, thoughtful content that inspires. This means that the content must matter deeply to the thought leader and be written in a way to share the pain, the path and the purpose.

In the words of Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird): "If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal... Write toward vulnerability. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you’re a writer you have a moral obligation to do this." (Thanks to Eddie Shleyner for bringing this quote to my attention. It's very good advice.)

Put 90% of your effort and focus on discussing and highlighting your customers' world. It is far more engaging to demonstrate your thought leadership through practical observation and recommendation around your customers' environment or their issues, than to bang on about what you sell.

It's a good idea to measure your metrics to understand the value of your network. If you use LinkedIn, you can request an archive of your data and use excel to organize and measure your data. You can measure who engages with your content, what industries they work in, and what content resonates with them. You can identify the geographic locations of your connections to see where your network is concentrated. You can analyze job titles of your connections to understand the seniority level of your network. You can see the top companies that are represented in your network and how many of their employees have liked, commented, and shared your content. You can share these analytics with the companies. This can lead to collaboration.

In focus media, traditional metrics like followers and likes fall short. True improvement lies in meaningful engagement, quality content, authenticity, tangible impact. Thought leaders must transcend echo chambers, adapt, & uphold ethical standards. By prioritizing depth over breadth, fostering genuine connections, inspiring action, they can redefine leadership in the digital age.

Measuring your impact and continuously improving your strategies to establish yourself as a thought leader is important. By tracking metrics such as engagement, followership growth, and content performance, you can assess the effectiveness of your efforts and make data-driven decisions to optimize your approach. Also, actively seeking feedback from your audience, staying informed about industry trends, and adapting your content based on insights will help you stay relevant and continuously enhance your thought leadership presence. Embracing a growth mindset, staying open to learning, and adapting to feedback are essential practices to further solidify your position as a thought leader in your field.

I keep an eye on it but don't get obsessed. The algorithms are ALWAYS CHANGING. It's really frustrating because one month you have lots of views and engagement and the next month the same content isn't seen by very many people and there's no pattern to explain it other than a change in the algorithm. That said, pay attention and use the data to figure out who your core audience might be. As I think about it, the people that are most active with my content fit the demographics that show up engaged in the little bit of paid ads I do thru Google Ads.

NO. Too many people want to be thought leaders on social media. Problem? You have to be a thought leader OFF social media first. This is merely a platform. And to be a thought LEADER you need to have unique, ground breaking, expert-level thoughts on your area of focus. I’m seeing a lot of opinion leaders on social media. Not as much thought.

Thought leadership is all about wisdom. Google / ChatGPT can provide us knowledge. Knowledge is all about “what”. Wisdom is all about “when”. Mere knowledge will not help us to address the real scenarios. That can be a useful tool. Wisdom is all about which tool needs to be applied at what time. That calls for many parameters like external environment, internal environment, change management reception, attitude, maturity of the organisation and so on.

Know because you have a perspective, you can be a thought leader. Don't fall into the comparison trap. The key is to excavate your perspectives and to share them in relatable, authentic ways.

In my opinion, the term "Thought Leadership" sounds self-serving - What I've learned from 'Linkedin Influencers/Top Voices' - Social Media/Networking is not for self-promotion or trying to sell goods or services, but to build genuine lasting relationships. My approach to social networks and life is derived from my late dad's business ethics. The Jewish way when dealing with clients or customers is to be completely honest and upright at all times. My late dad and his late brother (founder of the firm) had a serious fallout because my uncle wished to cut corners in business which would give the firm an unfair advantage over its competitors.

Thought leadership requires just that - LEADERSHIP. Honest and vulnerable content will help people see you and connect, telling stories will create camaraderie, and not trying to speak above people or sell to them publicly will help you maintain your authority and honesty.